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New Skatepark to be Built at Duboce and Mission This Fall

There's been talk of a new skatepark to be build behind Zeitgeist under the freeway for years, but there was never any certainity that it would actually happen. First there was the typical “concern” of downer neighbors (because skateparks attract urban blight, like 20-somethings having fun), then Caltrans, the owner of the property, needed to do an “air quality assessment” to ensure skating under a freeway wouldn't give you cancer (conclusion: negative), and then there was some disagreement over how much money the city should pay Caltrans to rent the property (we wanted to pay $5,000/month, they wanted $11,000). But it looks like that has all been figured out and, according to the SF Skateboarding Association, the $3 million dollar project is expected to break ground this fall, potentially as soon as September.

Proposal by Jovi Schnell.

The final proposal from New Line Skateparks promises a “San Francisco feel” that draws inspiration from favorite local spots:

Located at the corner of Duboce and Stevenson in Downtown San Francisco, the soon to be constructed SoMa Skate Plaza embodies the culmination of over two years of planning and coordination between the local skate community, Civic and State Government agencies and members of our international consulting team. The plaza offers an expansive combination of features inspired by local spots such as Channel Street, 3 up 3 down, and the iconic Justin Herman Plaza - resulting in unique world class urban skate destination with an unmistakable San Francisco feel.

The only remaining hurdle for what will assuredly be a gawking destination for randy drunk girls filtering out of Zeitgeist is having the SF Arts Commission to approve all the proposed artwork for the skatepark, including a rather, ahem, “bold” 15-foot-tall monument designed by Michael Arcega that “celebrates the sport’s unaccounted for and innumerable risks and failures.”

And if that isn't enough for you, DPW is planning on building a pair of basketball courts, a dog run, a playground, and planting a whole bunch of trees as part of the “Octavia Neighborhood/SOMA West” improvement process:

Everything about the project looks rad, but the proposed name “SOMA West Skatepark” doesn't appropriately capture the spirit of the project. Alternate suggestions in the comments encouraged, as I have no better ideas.

The back story on this is that when they tore down the freeway north of Market, there was a neighborhood outcry that the southern side would remain – especially when that was justified by Tom Ammiano quoting “if we tear down the freeway it will lead to gentrification.”

So they left the ugly mass in place. And accordingly the areas surrounding it remain dumpy.

Then just to put icing on the hate cake they proposed “mitigations” that were the polar opposite of what the people who live in the area asked for. Including a skate park no one asked for – and very little else.

I’m all for skate parks, but this location has nothing to do with loving skate parks or demand for one in that location. It has to do with the ongoing fact that actual neighbors and residents have no control over what the city decides is best, not for them, but for the political winds of a given moment. IN this case the anti-gentrification loons.

So we get a skate park, surrounded by a butt-ass ugly, under-used shadowed river of concrete, in a place that could have just as easily been as lively as the north side of Market and Hayes Valley.

This is NONSENSE. San Francisco is one of the MECCASOFSKATEBOARDING. I don’t see why The city would lag on this sort of project. There of slapping the skateboard community in the face. I mean Tony Hawk donated money hella long ago. The fuck. I don’t want to have to drive to Fremont every weekend.